Process of treating fruit for the market



tsrding agent.

In accordance with the present mvention,

Patented Z 1933 nrsn on one ercnrm, or nrvnnsrnn, oemronrzmnssrerron so soon mm! conronnrron, or sex 368E, osrmomrm, AT COREGRATIONOF nmwmn 3E EEBEA'EING FRUIT FOR THE mm 535s Evening.

ler fruits for the purpose of retarding shrink age of the fruit,

(Citrus fruit is irequently treated with sllrsli washing solutions and vnr-ious solutions ofpreservetive disinfecting egents he- .T Q' fore it is sent to the market. After the treatment with the Washing material and the preservative agent, when it is used, the fruit is then usna'liy dried end e'coating of meterial such as was or other equivalent cover 3 ring-agent is applied to the fruit for the pun pose of retarding eveporetion end preventing the fruit from shrinking. Dific'ulty is experienced in epplying the wen-like coating on the dry fruit since an excess of the coat- 9@ ing material is to he evoided because an excess of the coating materiel s found undesirable the reason thet the fruit cannot properly hreethe.

is the generel object of the present inven- 953 tion to provide e process of treating fruit in which n wen-like substance may be applied to the fruit in n cold process and in which the eves-like suhstence may heinore evenly distrihuted u on the fruit in emore simple m mnnner. It 18 also on object of the present invention to provide e rocess in which a vveK-iike materiel may placed upon the frui while the fruit is still wet, thereby elimin-" hng the necessity offirst drying the fruit,

22. further object of the invention is to o vide s. {recess in which the application of the wen-l?" tion of the disinfecting material or mold reit has been found that fruit may he covered with a. wax-like material by dissolving the wax-like material in s solvent and agitating the fruit with said solution of wax-like mathrough its pgitation in the presence of water e material may he carried out 00- jointly or simultaneously with the applica- Appiioetion files Fletcher 26, 18%. serial fie. esfi l'o'f.

or en squeous solution end it is applied to th fruit in e subdivided form,.snd any desired amount of the coating materiel-may he applied to the fruit in this manner and even distribution of the some etteined. as In accordance with the preierred form of the invention use is made of a, solution of aqueous solution and e wax-like substance with s. solvent forming a. fluid non-miscible with the aqueous phase and one which is heavier than the aqueous phase, the coating 2'9 solution works its way towardsthe skin of the fruit Whenthe fruit is placed in this agitated mixture and as the fruit is withdrawn from the agitated mixture the water of the mixture is found et the top of the '15 fruit where it is easily brushed ofi, leaving solely the coating solution.

Another feature of the present invention is that the aqueous phase which isagitated with a, non-miscible solution of thewax-like meterial may be a solution of any suitable dis= infecting material, such as boro-glyceride, borex, hypochlorites, etc. Thus, the application of the covering agent may go hand-inhand with the disinfecting of the fruit from 35 mold spores.

WhileI have herein referred to the use of a material of wax-like nature, I have intended by such term to include any covering agent which has similar shrinkage retarding prop- 9 erties to wax when it is applied to fruit and included under the'head of material of waxlikc nature, not only various waxes but some viscous oils, lparaflin, hydrogenated oils, vaseline and the The present invention, together with various objects en edvanta es thereof will best be understood from the escription of a preferred form orexample of the process emike. g

have hereinafter described a preferred ex am le of the invention.

n the referred example of the invention, fruit, suc as citrus fruit, is first put in a soaking tank where the scale, dust, etc. are loosened up. This soaking tank may comprise an aqueous solution of mold retarding substance. The soaking solution may also include various alkali washin the soakin tank the fruit is then brushed with or without the application of further heavier than water or other aqueous phase used together with the coating solution in said tank. "In addition to the solution of coating material in the tank there is included an aqueous phase which may be merely water in some cases, but preferably comprises a solution of a mold retardin agent such. as paras, hypochlorite, boro-g lyceride or the ile l have mentioned the use of a wax, it is to be understood that other materials of similar nature may be employed and that various solvents ma be substituted for carbon tetrachloride. T e aqueous phase may also include glycerine or alcohol. The relative proportions of said aqueous phase and the till solution of covering in the tank will depend to an extent upon the particular solutions used and upon. the extent of wax-like coating which it is desired to appl to the fruit.

The aqueous solution and the so ution of coating material are agitated together in the tank while the fruit is passing throu h the tank by being suitably submerged erein. As the fruit passes through the tank the coatin solution adheres to the fruit and is ap plied to the fruit in the form of fine driblets which adhere to the fruit.

The application of this mixture of aqueous phase agitated with a solution of a coating materia to the fruit may go hand-in-hand with an operation of brushing the fruit while it is submerged. Hand brushing may be employed but I prefer to employ in this tank a disc lemon washer, such as is now in commen use in the fruit packing art. When the fruit is brushed under or in the agitated mixture, drops of the coating solution are brushed against the fruit and cling to the same and are spread evenly over the entire surface, except the calyx or stem end of the fruit.

The calyx or button on the stem of the materials, such as soap and washmg pow ers. From aeoaaea fruit is not coated or sealed entirely as the brushes cannot reach the depth of the calyx. This is an advantage as. the coating applied to the fruit does not entirely arrest the breathing or oxidation of the fruit which is essential to its best preserving properties.

The fruit is then passed to aibrushing ap paratus where the surplus water is knocked 0d the fruit and it is then passed to a drier where it is dried and then it may be handled in any desired or preferred manner. In the brusher, which may be of any usual or preferred type, the water or aqueous phase which was in the treating tank is rapidly knocked 0d from the fruit since the coating solution adheres to the fruit in a better manner thanthe aqueous phase. This is particularly true where the aqueous phase is lighter than the coating solution.

As examples of other solutions, chloroform, acetylene tetrachloride, petroleum, cold tar distillates and various mixtures may be used.

An advantage of the present invention is that the fruit is. in constant contact with a mold retarding agent until the coating is applied to the fruit. Moreover, there is no heating of the fruit required in applying the coating substance. This is an advantage for the reason that a number of mold spores are more active at high temperatures than at low temperatures.

Another advantage of the invention is that while the solution is employed there is a minimum of evaporation of the solvent and no solvent is evaporated in the recess ex cept that constituting part of t e film of coating solution applied to the fruit. Where wax-like materials are applied to the fruit by a solvent, there is ordinarily a large evaporation of solvent and a considerable quantity of the wax-like substance is applied as solid particles tothe fruit where it is not particularly efiective as a coating composition.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it has been found that the fruit which is coated with a wax-like material under water will dry'more rapidly and thoroughly because of the surface tension of the aqueous solution having been reduced and the globules of water adhering to the fruit are easily knocked oil by the brushing means.

Carbon tetrachloride and acetylene chloride are of particular value as solvents, either by themselves or in mixtures with other materials, since they are non-inflammable. This is true even when the carbon tetrachloride is admixed with a suitable quantity of other solvent which by itself is inflammable.

While the particular process herein described is we 1 adapted to carry out the objects of the-present invention, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the invention and the invention includes allsuch changes and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims- I claim:

1. A process of preserving fruit which consists in contacting the fruit in an agitated mixture of an aqueous phase and a solution of wax-like material which solution is heavier than the aqueous phase.

2. A process of preserving fruit which consists in contactin the fruit with an aqueous solution of a mo] retarding agent and a solution of a wax-like material which solution is heavier than the aqueoussolution, the two solutions being agitated together in the a presence of the fruit.

3. A process of preserving fruit which consists in contacting the fruit with an aqueous solution of a mold retardin agent and a solution of a wax-like material which solution is heavier than the aqueous solution, the two solutions being agitated together in the presence of the fruit, and brushing the fruit while in contact with said solutions.

4. A process of preserving fruit which consists in contacting the fruit with an aqueous solution of a mold retarding agent and a solution of a wax-like material which solution is heavier than the aqueous solution, the two solutionsbeing agitated together in the presence of the fruit, removing the fruit from such solutions and brushing the same to distribute the coating material and to brush oif the sur lus aqueous material.

5. A process 0 preserving fruit which consists in contacting the fruit with an aqueous solution of a mold reta'rdin agent and a solution of a wax-like material which solution is heavier than the aqueous solution,-the two solutions being agitated together in the presence of the fruit, brushing the fruit while in contact with said solutions, then removin the fruit in contact with said solution an further brushing the same for distributing the coating material and for brushing the excess aqueous phase therefrom.

6. A process of preserving fruit consisting of immersing the fruit in an aqueous liquor,

said liquor having in suspension a solution of a solid hydrocarbon and carbon tetrachloride, which solution is of'heavier gravity than the aqueous liquor.

7. A process of coating fruit consisting of contacting the fruit with a fluid coating medium and an aqueous phase immiscible with the fluid coating medium, the fluid coat medium being of greater specific gravity than the aqueous phase in which the same is suspended. brushing the fruit, and thereafter drying the fruit.

8'. A process of preserving fruit consisting of sulnncl'ging the fruit in an aqueous preserving solution having enzyme arresting properties and contacting the fruit while suhmcrged with a coating solution consist- 

